Another successful Clean Your Streams Day! We have compiled all the data cards and tabulated exactly how much trash and debris the 910 volunteers removed from the waterways. This year, there were 69 cleanup sites along the riverbank and one canoe crew, covering 25.57 miles around the greater metropolitan Toledo area. These volunteers worked hard to gather 910 bags of trash equaling 23,789 pounds along with 94 tires! The top ten items found this year were: food wrappers (6910), plastic beverage bottles (5545), cigarette butts (4218), foam pieces (3955), plastic pieces (3807), plastic grocery bags (3338), beverage cans (2618), glass pieces (2348), foam cups and plates (2138), and other plastic bags (2058). The data cards help us to track trends and changes in what is being found in our community each year. This information is then submitted to the International Coastal Conservancy TIDES database, so they can compile the data worldwide. The goal is to be able to effect policy and public change on a local, regional, national, and international scale to help reduce specifically what is being found in our waterways. As society moves towards more single-use plastic containers, they inadvertently end up as litter in the streams as evidenced by all the plastic material found during Clean Your Streams Day. All of our volunteers did an amazing job at reducing the amount of trash in nearby streams and rivers and we hope the information they collected will reduce the need for Clean Your Streams programs in future. CYS is one way in which we can conserve and protect our water bodies for the future. Thanks again to all of our volunteers, planning committee members, and sponsors for making this day possible!
